Devil Released
AN: Hey there, everyone! It's FINALLY here! Thank you so much for your patience. For those that have been looking forward to the sequel of Devil Within, I hope this is everything that you've been waiting for. To everyone else: welcome, and thanks for giving my story a shot. Just to let you all know, this story is complete. If there's enough interest, I'll post the rest. Now without further ado, I officially present Devil Released. Don't forget to leave a review! Enjoy!
After the initial shock of finding out that her husband, Jin Kazama, was the mastermind behind the world's major disasters, Lei-Fang resolved to put an end to his evil doing and bring him back to his senses. With the announcement of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6, she finally found the opening that she needed to get close to him. Although she didn't personally receive an invitation to the tournament, her sister, Ling Xiaoyu, did and she would use it to her advantage. She would find a way to get close to the elusive young leader and give him a piece of her mind.
Lei-Fang sighed and shook her head as she lined her suitcases by the front door. Not long ago, she had just returned from Yakushima where she had spent several weeks chasing after Jin, trying to remind him of his humanity. It seemed like he was responding and on his way to recovery until he suddenly pushed her away and took off again, basically forcing her to return home empty handed.
Those first couple days of being home without him were more than difficult. Lei-Fang had to face the painful truth of her husband's absence every time she went to bed at night and was even greeted with it when she looked at their son, Toshiro. The baby's eyes smoldered with Jin's essence and it pained her to see it. Lei-Fang feared that little Toshiro would grow up and continue down the same cursed path, just like his father. She knew that it had to stop now; Jin had once shared this same sentiment with her, but somewhere along the way, he had become deluded and lost his way. Because of this, Lei-Fang took it upon herself to set things right, no matter what the cost.
It wasn't long before the two Chinese women arrived to the city. Ling Xiaoyu and Lei-Fang exited the airplane with a sense of duty and purpose: the two girls had joined forces to try and put a stop to the tyranny that the Mishima Zaibatsu leader, Jin Kazama, had begun. Xiaoyu would have the advantage because she actually had an invitation to the tournament. Hopefully she would be able to fight her way to the top and face off with Jin. Otherwise, Lei-Fang would be present to find another way to Jin. The girls made sure that they would cover all the bases because they refused to leave empty handed.
"We have one day to get acquainted with our surroundings before the tournament begins," Xiaoyu informed her sister, "I will try my best to help you get close to Jin, but once the tournament starts I can't guarantee that I will always be around. Luckily, you will have Panda to keep you company once we go pick her up."
Panda was arriving at a later time and would meet the girls to act as their escort and bodyguard, especially during these trying times. As always, her loyalty to Xiaoyu proved unfathomable and she offered her services to the ladies to make sure that they will be alright.
Lei-Fang nodded, "That's fine, Xiaoyu, but I'm not helpless. I can take care of myself too. Plus, with Panda entering the tournament alongside you, we have twice the chance of winning it. You should focus on doing well in the tournament so you can get a chance to meet Jin personally and find out what all this is about. I will worry about getting to him in other ways."
The girls soon approached the carousel and waited for their luggage to circle around. Once they spotted their suitcases, they pulled them off the conveyor belt and hauled them outside to a waiting cab and were taken to the hotel where all the other contestants would be staying.
Meanwhile, two figures stood side by side on the dock, one male and the other female. The blonde woman ran a hand through her hair and turned to look at the tall Japanese man next to her, "You seem to have a handle on things. So what exactly do you plan to do?"
Jin Kazama stood silently, his stare drifting past the moving boats on the dock. "This is neither the time nor the place for that kind of conversation," he simply replied, "For now all you need to know is that everything is going according to plan."
Nina Williams scoffed. This was the man she had once been charged to assassinate back in the King of Iron Fist Tournament 3; she never would have imagined becoming his personal bodyguard. "So where do we go next? Kazuya is watching our every move. We must be careful about whatever we do." she warned the young leader.
"Let him watch," Jin answered stoically, never meeting her eye, "We will just have to put on a good show."
Before she could say anything else, Jin had already turned his back, the train of his trench coat flapping behind him as he approached one of the motorcycles parked a bit further away from them.
"I will see you at HQ," he finished before putting on the helmet that was resting on the seat.
With a rev of the engine and squeal of the back tire, he took off towards the Mishima Zaibatsu HQ.
Amidst all the chaos of the world war stood the grand hotel in which all the tournament's participants stayed. At least inside of its pristine walls, there was a small bit of solace as the workers kept a constant cheery attitude, despite the heightened emotions of the fighters and of the outside world. Lei-Fang and Xiaoyu were treated with genuine care as they were led to their room. Once they reached it, the girls openly gasped at the size of it. For all intents and purposes, their hotel room was the size of a small apartment, equipped with a sitting area, small kitchen, full bathroom, and a bedroom with two queen sized beds.
"Wow, Jin really knows how to treat his guests," Xiaoyu said as she dropped her bag on the first bed in the suite, "He even gave me an extra bed even though he knows that Panda is fine with just sleeping on the floor beside me."
Lei-Fang walked further into the room and placed her bag gingerly on the other bed. "I somehow don't think that this is just a coincidence, Xiao. He must know that I would come with you. I feel like he is expecting me."
"It's a possibility, but how would you ever get close enough to him? He's always surrounded by so many guards and the Tekken Force are everywhere. It seems impossible," the younger girl remarked as she began unpacking her bags and placing her clothes in the drawers.
Lei-Fang sighed and plopped down on the bed next to her bag, "I don't know. It's just this feeling that I have. I feel like it will work itself out if we were meant to be, but at the same time, I can't just sit around idly. I'll do what I can to get to him, but I understand that it won't be very easy."
The girls settled into their hotel room and decided to go out and see who else was around. As they were leaving, they ran into several other fighters that were just checking in. One girl in particular caught the girls' attention. She seemed to be caught in a scuffle with another girl, a long-haired blonde who seemed to have an air of authority about her. She spun on her white heels, nonchalantly walking away from the other girl.
"Just who do you think you are, Lili?" the short haired Japanese girl shouted, "If I remember correctly, I was the one who beat you during the last tournament!"
Lili stopped and turned her head and smiled, "Asuka, there will be a time and place for us to settle the score. And guess what? I will be the clear victor! However, I have more important things to do at the moment. Now if you'll excuse me, Ms. Kazama, there is a mess that needs cleaning up. I will at least say that you're lucky that you aren't involved heavily with Jin. Things between us would be even worse."
With those final words, the young blonde walked out of the hotel towards a limo that was waiting for her, leaving Asuka pounding her fists together in frustration.
Lei-Fang turned to Xiaoyu confusedly. "Kazama? Xiao, is this girl a relative of Jin's?"
"Yeah, she's his cousin," Xiaoyu responded, "Wow, he never told you? She entered the last tournament and they met there."
"Maybe she might be able to help us get close to Jin. Come on, let's go over to her," Lei-Fang said and grabbed her sister's hand.
Here was her chance to finally get some answers. Hopefully this Asuka Kazama would prove to be helpful; otherwise it was back to the drawing board.
"Asuka! Hey!" Xiaoyu excitedly ran over to her and threw her arms around her, "How are you doing?"
Bewildered, Asuka finally realized who had embraced her and a smile came across her face, "Xiao-chan, it's nice to see you! I wish it was under better circumstances, but oh well." She returned the friendly hug and then pulled away to see Lei-Fang lingering off to the side.
"Hi, I'm Lei-Fang. I'm Xiaoyu's sister and…" she paused and found herself surprised that she would do such a thing. This had never proved to be a problem before, but with the world in such disarray she suddenly felt an odd lump form in her throat as she was about to continue her sentence.
Fortunately, Xiaoyu sensed Lei's discomfort and stepped to her aid. "…and she's Jin's wife. Though in my sister's defense, it's not necessarily a bad thing. It's just that with all that's going on, people could get the wrong idea about her and I'm sure you can understand that too."
Asuka nodded grimly. The young girl had already gotten into a few scraps back in Osaka because people automatically assumed that she and her father were just like Jin. It seemed that every time she came close to clearing her family name, Jin would do something to tarnish it again. Enough was enough and she knew that she had to go straight to the Mishima Zaibatsu and sort Jin out. Fortunately, the announcement of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6 gave her the opening that she needed to do it. Now, Asuka is looking to face Jin and make him stop ruining the Kazama family name.
"If it wasn't for my idiot cousin, none of this would be going on right now. I can't wait to get my hands on him and give him a piece of my mind… and maybe my fist!" Asuka exclaimed as her hands curled into fists at her sides.
"You and I both," Xiaoyu agreed, "Though maybe not to the same extent as you. Lei-Fang and I are hoping to find a way to meet with Jin and find out what's really going on with him. We were wondering if you had any ideas."
Asuka sighed and shrugged her shoulders, "To be honest with you, I entered the tournament with the intentions of fighting my way to the top and hopefully meeting Jin for the final battle. Otherwise, I'm just as stumped as you are. But I know this is for sure: I will see Jin before I leave here and he will hear a piece of my mind!"
Lei-Fang was slightly taken aback by the young Osakan girl's fiery passion. She tried to imagine herself in Asuka's shoes and she completely understood where she was coming from. The Kazama family name which was once associated with peacefulness has now become synonymous with the Mishima family name. Lei-Fang, herself, has recently undergone scrutiny because of her last name and her association with Jin and she certainly did not like the harsh judgments being passed on her.
"Well, thanks, anyway, Asuka. If we hear about something, we'll be sure to let you know." Xiaoyu quipped hopefully.
"That sounds good, Xiao. Well, I better get going. My first match is tomorrow and I want to do some training before the opening ceremonies tonight. We should do some sparring together sometime." Asuka smiled at Xiaoyu before turning to Lei-Fang, "I'm really sorry about my bone-headed cousin, Lei-Fang. I'm sure that everything will be okay once someone gets to him. Until then, just stay positive and don't stop fighting. I hope to see you around!"
Once Asuka had left the sisters alone, Xiaoyu turned to Lei-Fang with a remorseful shrug of her shoulders, "I'm sorry about that, Lei. It looks like we're back to the drawing board, huh?"
The older girl shook her head, "It's fine, Xiaoyu. I didn't expect this to be easy. I'm pretty sure that the time will come where we will be able to meet up with Jin and demand some answers from him. Until then we just have to keep our eyes and ears open for an opportunity to do what we have to do."
The girls were able to explore their surroundings and meet other fighters as they were doing it. They found out that many of the people that were entering the tournament were seeking revenge on Jin for some sort of wrongdoing that he had done to them personally or they were just interested in obtaining the bounty that Kazuya Mishima of G Corporation had put on his head. Lei-Fang couldn't help but feel a little uneasy as she was surrounded by people who vehemently hated her husband at the moment. She just couldn't believe that the kind and gentle Jin that she had once fell in love with was the same person that was committing all these atrocities throughout the world.
Later in the evening, the participants of the tournament were required to attend the opening ceremonies. The event was to take place in one of the event rooms at the hotel and would serve as an official welcome from the Mishima Zaibatsu leader himself. When Lei-Fang heard about this, she couldn't help but become a little nervous. This would be the first time that she would see Jin since their time in Yakushima. She had no clue what to expect from him.
Xiaoyu placed a comforting arm around her, "It'll be okay, Lei-Fang. Who knows? Maybe he'll see us and then we'll get a chance to talk with him. This might be the opening that we need!"
Lei-Fang nodded absent mindedly, appreciating her sister's attempt at cheering her up, but knowing deep down that this wouldn't be the case.
"We should get going now," Xiaoyu finally spoke up, tugging her sister forward.
The two entered the event hall to see a large group of tournament participants standing around, eyeing a stage which was set up at the front of the room. Surprisingly there was a large barricade put in front of it as well as a line of Tekken Force soldiers holding their rifles proudly.
"Is this really all that necessary?" Xiaoyu said to Lei-Fang in reference to the preventative measures that were set up.
"With that bounty on Jin's head, I'm not surprised that he wouldn't want to take extra security precautions. Almost everyone here hates him. What would possibly stop them from wrapping their fingers around his neck and strangling the living daylights out of him?" Lei-Fang pondered.
A familiar voice cut into their conversation and the sisters whirled around in surprise. Asuka approached the girls with a smile on her face, "You got that right, Lei-Fang. My cousin sure has a lot of nerve showing his face around here. Either he's really brave or just really stupid. I mean just look around this room! Everyone here has some type of story."
Asuka directed Xiaoyu and Lei-Fang's attention to Lili, the girl that she had been arguing with out in the hotel lobby. "Do you guys see her? Her name is Lili Rochefort. Besides being a spoiled, obnoxious brat, she's the daughter of the man who owns a large oil company out in Morocco. She entered this tournament because Jin took control of her father's company and she wants revenge."
"And that guy over there?" Asuka pointed to a tall, tanned, and dark-haired man who was standing off to himself, just casually leaning against the wall, "His name is Miguel. He almost got arrested upon his arrival. He came in shouting for Jin to show himself so he could snap his head off, among other things. I heard that Jin had ordered a bombing over a town where his sister lived."
Lei-Fang inhaled sharply at that news. She was aware of the bombings that took place all of the world, but actually having a victim of one of them in the same room was overwhelming.
One by one, Asuka pointed out more people who were somehow affected by Jin and the Mishima Zaibatsu's actions. It was horrifying, to say the least.
"As you can see, Jin won't be arriving to much fanfare. He sure has a lot of nerve to just waltz upon stage so casually." Asuka muttered, her brows furrowing at the thought.
Xiaoyu nodded in understanding, "This is really serious business. We have to put an end to this, you guys."
Just then, a loud huff came from the group of soldiers and they immediately snapped to attention, turning towards the stage and saluting the Mishima Zaibatsu's flag that had been lowered to serve as a back drop. Just as quickly, they each turned back around, facing the crowd sternly and clenching their rifles readily. Before anyone else could say a word, Jin appeared on stage, his black trench coat flapping behind him, followed by Nina Williams and Eddy Gordo, his senior bodyguards, whom flanked him on either side of the podium.
"Eddy!"
One woman in the crowd raised a cry of protest, trying to push her way towards the front of the group, but was immediately stopped by a firm, but gentle pair of hands on her shoulders.
"Now's not the place for this, love," Steve Fox, the British boxer, whispered to her, "You'll surely get your chance during the tournament."
Even Miguel Caballero Rojo, the angry man from earlier, was able to maintain his composure. However, if looks could kill, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that Jin Kazama would be dead.
The Brazilian woman gritted her teeth, but resigned herself to her fate. Christie Monteiro stared defiantly at the man beside Jin, willing her eyes to communicate all the anger and betrayal that she felt deep in her heart. Eddy seemed to look in her direction, but his face remained devoid of any emotion, a perfect mask of compliance and allegiance to the Mishima Zaibatsu's cause.
Jin Kazama appeared calm and collected, unperturbed by Christie's random outburst; there was no sign of cruelty or malice on his handsome features. His brown eyes scanned the crowd, taking in their darting glances and stares, but soon settled upon a pair of soft, doe-eyed, cinnamon brown eyes that easily stood out from the rest of the crowd.
Jin was not surprised that Lei-Fang had come; in fact, he was slightly delighted. At least in the sea of anger and hatred there would be at least one that would dare to show him some understanding. All he had to do was find the right time to tell her everything. He sighed inwardly and tore his glance away from hers. He knew that Lei-Fang had a right to the truth, but at the same time, once he told her, there was no way for them to continue to be together. Jin knew that this would mark the end of their relationship and this was something that he had grown to accept; it was necessary in the grand scheme of things.
"Jin, is everything alright?" Nina whispered in his ear, snapping him back to the here and now.
Jin quickly recovered, nodding in her direction before clearing his throat and beginning his speech.
"Welcome to the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6," he spoke evenly and comfortably, "I see that you all are filled with vigor to fight and a determination to win; this is commendable, however it will not be so simple. Do not take my presence today as a sign of weakness and stupidity. On the contrary, I am not afraid to face death. I am aware of the price put on me by Kazuya and I'm positive that the majority of you are here to make good on that deal. Allow me to assure you that I will not make it easy for you: you must not use all your hatred against me. Look to your left and to your right: these are your competitors, the ones who are also looking for glory. Before you will even have the opportunity to face me, you will have to prove your worthiness by defeating them. Only then, will I see you fit enough to be my opponent. As usual, my position as CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu is at stake along with the infamy and power that comes along with it."
At this point, Eddy stepped forward and whispered something into his ear. Jin nodded curtly before returning his attention to the crowd. "The world is changing. It is a much needed change. A new era is coming, one in which the power of mankind will be tested. I use the word loosely, but know that power comes in various forms. Things are not as they seem."
The crowd stood in silence, drinking in Jin's words. Despite the amount of tension present in the room, there was a slight air of respect for the young leader at how eloquently he conducted himself. Without ever wanting to acknowledge it, many of the competitors found themselves inspired by his words.
"Regardless of where you came from today," Jin continued after a slight pause, "Know that each and every one of you in this room has the power to change the world and make a difference. How you do it is solely up to you. For now, you must be able to prove yourself as the strongest, the King of Iron Fist. Good luck to all of you; you will surely need it."